NEWSFeature News:

Leading specialists in tank cleaning

October 2018 Issue

124/7 Tel: 01634 250326 www.mts-ltd.co.uk

Unwanted material in the sewage treatment system mounts up very quickly. We recently removed 30 tonnes of “rag” from a sump and a further 20 tonnes from a sewage treatment plant for our customer Severn Trent Water. Wet wipes, cotton buds and sanitary items are just some of the culprits.In addition to rag, grit in the system also causes blockages, abrasion and other problems which increase operating costs for utility companies.

Digester tanks are a key component in the sewage treatment process and we are often called upon to thoroughly empty and clean these vessels. Sludge is solid matter produced by the treatment system and this sludge needs to be treated so that it can be used as fertiliser on agricultural land.

The sludge is loaded into anaerobic digesters, where it is kept at 35°C and mixed with bacteria to break it down. As the bacteria digest the sewage methane (a natural gas) is produced, as well as a fertilizer by-product. Severn Trent Water use the methane to produce heat and electricity.

Our specialist cleaning services help to keep digester tanks working at optimum levels. We remove rag and grit using powerful vacuum tankers before our confined space entry crews get hands on to thoroughly clean the interiors.

At Severn Trent Water’s Finham STW (sewage treatment plant) we removed 280 tonnes of grit as well as 20 tonnes of rag.

The photos show the difference before and after we removed 30 tonnes of rag and eight tonnes of grit from Baginton sump.

Before

After

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32 years of MTS – a message from our Chairman

In August, MTS celebrated 32 years in business. What started as a single tanker serving domestic customers in the Medway area of Kent, has become an industry-leading company operating 400 vehicles across a network of depots.Looking back on the progress of MTS as a company over more than three decades, Chairman Keith Crust said; “I would like to thank all MTS employees, both the long standing and the very new, for all their hard work and, in many instances, loyal years of service. I treasure all of the contributions and efforts from our directors, managers, foremen and most of all our office and frontline staff. I look forward to many more years of MTS delivering excellent service to our clients.”

Read more about the history of MTS.

Tank installation

As well as cleaning all kinds of tanks and vessels, we also offer a complete installation service.We recently won a tender to install tanks and a bund for Kent County Council at their Household Waste Reception Site in Tovil, Maidstone. We installed two tanks and a bund to collect oily ground water from the site.

Jason Downer, civils specialist in the MTS business development team, scoped the works and planned the project delivery. Jason said; “The oily groundwater runs into a system of gullies on the site, which leads into four interceptors. The water then runs into a wet well and when it reaches a certain level it is pumped into the new tanks. Vacuum tankers empty these tanks and remove the water for disposal.”

The project was completed on time and on budget, improving the environmental performance of the site by removing pollution to land.

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Unexpected item in the MTS working area

MTS drivers Steve Manix and Dan Carter have both discovered unusual items during the course of their work recently.Steve Manix, who works on our jetting and vacuum combination units, handled an unusual situation very professionally. While cleaning gullies in north London Steve found a live bullet. After alerting his manager, Steve called the Met police who collected the bullet to send it for analysis.

We hope that Steve’s actions might help to solve a crime.

Dan Carter had an altogether more slithery experience while attending to a private septic tank in Kent. Dan rescued an adder from the tank and released it back into the countryside. The adder is the only venomous snake native to Britain and its bite can be nasty. Luckily they are not aggressive animals and nobody has died of an adder bite in the UK for more than 20 years.

Well done to Dan and Steve for keeping cool heads and making MTS proud.

MTS sponsors local football club and family countryside event

We’re proud to renew our club sponsorship of Chatham Town Football Club and happy to support this team based closed to our head office in Medway, Kent.

The Gravesend and Rochester 2018 Ploughing Match on 22 September was a great celebration of traditional rural skills and crafts, with treats for the whole family to enjoy. As key event sponsor, our team was undeterred by the wet weather and enjoyed promoting our services and talking to local farmers and visitors.

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MTS in the community – pond clearance for a Sussex primary school

The St Leonards Primary Academy in East Sussex wanted to reinstate a pond that had become clogged with silt and debris over several years. The school were keen to clear up the unused pond and create an area dedicated to wildlife and nature which would include fish and ducks.

The first stage of this journey was to clear out the old unloved pond.

The school contacted us following a conversation with Southern Water who recommended MTS as leading specialists in vacuum tanker work. As a Tier One contractor to Southern Water for many years, we work closely with them on a variety of charity and community projects.

Chris Henderson, MTS Sales Director said; “The MTS Board of Directors were delighted to help St Leonards Primary Academy with their pond project. We donated the technology and manpower free of charge to get the area cleared ready for the pond to be refilled.”

The two man team operated the MTS combination unit to clear the pond. This required some ingenuity as the suction pipe needed to cross over two fences and a public walkway in order to reach the overgrown pond.

The crew worked hard and did a fantastic job clearing the pond, assisted by a member of the school’s staff and a parent helper. The school encourages parents to be involved with the extra curriculum activities.

We understand that the fire service have refilled the pond free of charge and that work is well underway to develop the new nature and wildlife area at St Leonards.

We hope that many future generations of children will enjoy the use of the area.

Before During the works After

524/7 Tel: 01634 250326 www.mts-ltd.co.uk

Wellbeing at MTS

Are you a man? Do you like football? Are you chunkier than you’d like to be? Then you might like to sign up for Man v Fat football - a new way of getting fitter and losing weight, with built-in motivation. 95% of participants lose weight and there are leagues all over the country, so why not join the league where the losers are the winners?

October is National Cholesterol Month – get involved to help raise awareness and prevent premature deaths caused by high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease.

We had a great response to the wellbeing kiosk provided by our friends A Better Medway in September. This clever machine gave all MTS HQ staff and visitors the chance of a free self-service health check, measuring height, weight, BMI (body mass index), blood pressure, pulse, body fat and visceral fat. MTS staff used the machine nearly 160 times during the week and we’re arranging a return visit in a few months’ time.

The only way to know if you have a problem with high blood pressure is to take a check. The good news is that high blood pressure can be treated and often prevented, and there’s a lot you can do to lower your risk.

The Better Medway team visited Stanley House drivers’ area to promote the FREE NHS health check available to anyone aged 40 – 74 (without a pre-existing condition) every five years. They gave free blood pressure tests on request and helped to make appointments for Medway residents.

We’re looking into finding local providers who can set up a wellbeing kiosk at other MTS depots around the country. In the meantime, if you’d like some wellbeing tips and information on local facilities near you please email jackie.hall@mtscleansing.co.uk.

Finally, remember that it’s Stoptober. If you’re looking for help to stop smoking, click the link for help and advice from the NHS including a free personal quit plan.

Steve Johnson, Business Development Manager, checks his numbers. Driver Daryl Sandy has a free blood pressure check.

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MTS wins Gold Medway Workplace Wellbeing Award

MTS has won a Gold Award in Medway Council’s recently launched recognition programme the Medway Workplace Wellbeing AwardsThe new Awards initiative gives employers the opportunity demonstrate their commitment to the health and well-being of their workforce.

Ian Watson (MTS Head of SHEQW) and Jackie Hall (MTS Wellbeing Champion) attended the launch event for the awards and collected the Gold certificate on 3 October.

Ian said; “This is a great programme which supports and rewards organisations who are working to embed a healthy and happy workplace for all employees. We’re thrilled to receive the Gold Award and we’re working hard to achieve the very top accreditation of Exemplary Employer (Platinum Award) next time round.”

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Photo competition winner

Karim Carias-Ortiz is the winner for August, with this shot taken at Tilbury Docks in Essex.

Keep those photos coming – all pictures received are put before the Board who choose a winner each month. The winner receives a £50 voucher.

All submitted pictures maybe used online or in print. Please email your photos to jackie.hall@mtscleansing.co.uk

Well done and thank you…

Every month customers take the time and trouble to send special commendations to MTS staff who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Well done to everyone mentioned here and all the back office staff and managers who have supported these jobs.

Finham STW digester clean, Severn Trent Water Dan Whitaker, Dean Whitaker, Andy Dixon, Dan Franks, Darren Harvey, Gary Whitaker, Antony Reed, Lewis Kirrage, Ben Weaver and Andy Devine.

Baginton sump clean, Severn Trent Water Jason Welling, Shaun Slingsby, Richard Hanson, Ben Weaver, Antony Reed, Lewis Kirrage, Ryan Hatherley and Darren Mallett.

Portaloo hire for Southern Water, A283 layby Allen Crust Jnr and Jason Kidd in Stores.

Lucerne rising main, Southern Water Gary Simpson, Lea Coatham, Craig Green, Benjamin Dhir, Kevin Shadbolt, Anthony Skinley, Ant McNally, Simon Mills, Charlie Webb, Michael Field, Ivan Sims, Trevor Harding, Barry Dennord, Darrel Watson, Keith Aldis, Perry Yendell; Ricky Green and Jason Diamond.

The Three Crutches pub, Rochester, Kent Steve King, Dave Morgan, Steve Manix and Phil Redshaw.

Salt Marsh outfall, Balfour Beatty Darren Peters and Tony Lane.

Lea Coatham (left) and Gary Simpson enjoy cakes sent by Southern Water as a thank you for their management of the demanding and high profile burst rising main project.